Rescue and Rest
by Dark Ice Dragon
Summary: Kentas and Lunark didn't know what to expect when they first entered the household of the Noblesse and Frankenstein.


**Summary** : Kentas and Lunark didn't know what to expect when they first entered the household of the Noblesse and Frankenstein.

Set at the end of season 8. Or maybe mid-season. Whenever the rescue is anyway.

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 **Rescue and Rest  
**

By Dark Ice Dragon

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Kentas gritted his teeth, swallowing a grunt, but he shook his head when Lunark shot him a look, tightening her hand on his wrist. He was...not fine, but he was alive. Everything ached, unused to being pulled (or too used to it after that noble's experiments on him).

He exhaled, leaning further into her, hating that he needed her support, but the others with them didn't spare them a glance, didn't send them mocking looks.

Not when M-21's arms were around the shoulders of two of them (Kentas knew their names, had heard them enough - Takeo and Tao?), his toes dragging when he didn't lift them high enough.

They were lead to a building that looked no different from the rest of the buildings along the entire street. It was smaller than what he was used to seeing, smaller than the werewolf stronghold but... Kentas glanced at the Noblesse who was opening the door. This was his dwelling. The Noblesse, whose name stopped people in their tracks, and Frankenstein, who Lunark had said they'd been able to fight on equal footing.

They were also the ones that had listened to her and came to their rescue. They'd rescued Garda as well, Frankenstein going on ahead with her so he could see to her faster.

He owed them his life.

They had come for M-21, but they could have left him and Garda there to rot rather than freeing them as well and inviting them back.

And... Kentas swallowed as he lifted his feet again. They had nowhere else to go. They couldn't return to the werewolves, not when they would be sent back to the lab for someone else to experiment on them. The Union wouldn't care, no matter Lunark's status. Not when it was a werewolf issue.

There was a hold-up inside the house and Kentas lifted his head, watching the people inside change their shoes to put on new ones. The others were doing it without question, Takeo holding M-21 up while Tao put the new shoes on his feet.

The Noblesse handed them a pair of the pink shoes each and they changed into them, Lunark putting her boots to the side. Frankenstein had already gone, taking Garda to where he said he would be able to monitor her status.

The house...smelled weird. There was a mix of humans, nobles and that specific blend M-21 was. They all lived here together?

"Yooo," Tao called out as he and Takeo led M-21 further inside, "guess who we found!"

"I'm _hoping_ he's alive," a voice bit out, tinged with the Lukedonian accent, "and since you're joking, that means he's alive and conscious."

"Got it in one, Number 3!" Tao said.

"Barely," M-21 muttered at the same time.

"Don't call-!"

The short corridor through the door led to a more open area, with a table to the right and chairs lining it. There was another table to the left and standing next to it was...two noble children?

Lunark squeezed his wrist again. "The girl is the Loyard Clan Leader," she murmured.

He glanced at her incredulously, not sure if he'd heard her right. He had heard the new Clan Leaders were young, but he hadn't thought they were _that_ young.

The boy was staring at M-21, his eyes wide. Like he was worried about him. But the Noblesse had come for M-21 so maybe… Kentas had been so wrong about his own people, so what could he say about the nobles?

"Do you need-" the boy started.

"I'd prefer to just collapse here," M-21 said, shaking his head.

Tao and Takeo glanced at Frankenstein, who had just entered the room from the other door.

Frankenstein hummed, placing his fingers to his chin. Then he smiled. "Well, I certainly can't deny you that — though you will have to wait a few minutes for us to set up."

M-21 huffed, a small smile curling his lips. "I can do that."

"Garda's status is stable," Frankenstein told them and Kentas heard Lunark's sigh of relief echo his. Good. "And you?" Frankenstein asked, still focused on them. "What would you like to do?"

"What?" Kentas blinked. He was...asking him? Whatever the strongest decided, that was what the others did. Except he'd just seen Frankenstein listen to M-21's decision.

He looked at the Noblesse -hearing Frankenstein leave the room again- who gazed back at him.

"It is your decision," the Noblesse said.

His...decision? But...

"C'mon, join us!" Tao said to them with a grin. "We'll have one massive puppy pile and it'll be _awesome_. We've got the space for it." He clapped three times and with a soft whirr, the tiles underneath the chairs and the table slid down. Once the chairs and table had disappeared from sight, more tiles slid out to cover the space they left.

"He's been doing that every chance he can," Takeo said with a shake his head, making M-21 snort.

Tao turned back to the others to stick his tongue out. "Why shouldn't I? It's useful!"

"You've been _that_ bored since I've been gone." M-21's voice was flat, but it was tinged with humour. "At least your hair's still looking the same."

Takeo let out a strangled laugh and Tao whooped, spinning around to wrap his arm around M-21 fast enough to almost drag all of them to the floor. "I'll have you know our hair looked better in that period of our life. But it's good to have you back."

M-21 exhaled. "Yeah..."

Kentas looked away from the obvious private display. This was M-21's Clan, his family, that was clear. M-21 cared about them as much as they did for him.

"If you'd rather not rest here," Frankenstein said, walking back into the room with blankets piled up in his arms, "there are rooms upstairs you can use." He was followed by the Loyard Clan Leader, her arms similarly full with blankets. ...Wasn't something like that usually below a noble to do, let alone a Clan Leader?

"It feels weird, doesn't it?" M-21 smirked over at them, revealing bloodied teeth. "Having a choice."

...Yes, it did. Kentas closed his eyes and exhaled.

He heard and felt Lunark's comforting soft growl and he sagged, giving a small nod as he growled back. He'd had enough of being alone for the moment.

"We're thankful for your offer," Lunark said, answering for him, "and we gladly accept."

Frankenstein beamed as he laid the blankets out on the floor, the Loyard Clan Leader and the other noble doing the same. "If you change your mind, any of the rooms with the doors open are free and you can rest there."

...Was this way of thinking normal for humans, or was it specific to Frankenstein? The others didn't seem surprised by this, but if half of them were nobles...

"It's a Frankenstein thing," M-21 said, his words muffled by a yawn. "You'll get used to it. Eventually."

Frankenstein sent M-21 a mild exasperated look. "The Union is not a good point of reference."

"It is a Frankenstein thing," the Noblesse agreed, sitting down so he leaned back on the wall.

"Master..."

The Noblesse ignored him, glancing at the human trio.

For some reason, that look made Tao laugh, and he and Takeo brought M-21 over to the Noblesse. They were halfway over before M-21 seemed to realise what they were doing and started protesting.

They didn't listen, bringing him to the Noblesse's side.

"Hoookay," Tao said, "down ya go!"

The pair eased M-21 down as M-21 cursed at them. There was no heat to his words; it was like they were friendly nicknames than anything else.

They laid his head down on the Noblesse's outstretched leg and then curled up next to M-21 with him in the middle, covering him up as much as possible with their arms and legs.

Kentas stared. What were they-? As he watched, the Noblesse lifted a hand and started running his fingers through M-21's hair.

M-21's grumblings faded as he relaxed, his breathing deepening almost instantly.

The nobles lay down on the Noblesse's other side and they really _were_ children because they slept straight away.

Could they - should they join them?

"If you're unsure about lying down right now, please sit at least," Frankenstein said from the left side of the room. He was doing something, but his body was blocking Kentas' view.

Kentas shared a look with Lunark and nodded. His legs were stiff, his muscles unused to stretching that way after having to regrow anew after Ignes had ripped them out, but they managed.

He couldn't stop glancing in M-21's direction through.

"Is this all right?" Kentas asked, his voice rough.

"I did invite you back with us," Frankenstein said as he walked over, two steaming cups in his hands.

"No, I mean." Kentas huffed then jerked his head in M-21's direction even though that made his vision swim for a second. "He's not a werewolf; shouldn't he be getting checked over?"

Frankenstein quirked his eyebrows up. "Considering the state we found both of you in, I'm sure you're aware of the strength of M-21's regenerative ability."

Kentas nodded. It was stronger than what he'd seen of a lot of warriors. But M-21 was still a human. Something like that had to be a strain for him.

"He's in no immediate danger at the moment," Frankenstein continued, "and trying to feed him now would just result in him falling asleep into the plate. What needs to be done now is to ground him, surround him with people he knows, make sure he knows he's no longer in the lab situation."

Kentas glanced back at M-21, giving him an absent nod. There had been a few times he'd had to wake M-21 from nightmares in the lab. M-21 had said he should have been used to them, so they couldn't have just come from their time with the noble...

"Here," Frankenstein said, holding the cups out his hands to them. "It's tea — it will help you to sleep."

"Thank you," he and Lunark said, taking one each. The liquid was dark brown, though see-through rather than like a muddied pool, and it smelled of bergamot.

Lunark drank from it straight away and Kentas followed her example. There was a tang to it, but it was still drinkable.

Kentas closed his eyes once he was finished and ducked his head, gripping the cup. "I apologise for dragging him into this mess." There hadn't been time for this conversation before. "It's my fault he-"

"I think," Frankenstein interrupted, his voice soft, "you have more than paid enough for that."

A laugh escaped his lips, making his ribs hurt, but he couldn't stop. "That's pretty much what he said," he wheezed.

"They are very similar," the Noblesse said, still stroking M-21's hair.

The tea had settled in Kentas' stomach, spreading its warmth throughout his body. The warmth dragged at his eyelids and Kentas let exhaustion take him. 

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I'm having it that Karias and Rael are still training on the island.

Okay, but have you SEEN how many times the living room seating has changed just in the space of this season? ORZ

I'm also hoping we get more Lunark so I can get a better handle of her character than her just being…quiet this entire time. Orz;;


End file.
